Improving Windows 98 for Children With Physical and Visual Difficulties

1. www.senit.org Improving Windows 98 for Children With Physical and Visual Difficulties By Charlie Davey charlie@senit.org Click here to start

2. Read Me Again Continue by pressing the next page link in the black bar at the bottom of this page. For future reference this PowerPoint file is available for you at: http://www.senit.org/tutorials/access/ Continue to next page…

3. What We Can Do (Without Buying Extra Equipment) • Make the keyboard easier to use • Make the mouse easier to use • Make the screen easier to see Exit

4. Making The Keyboard Easier To Use • Stopping keyboard repetitions • Making two-key commands easier home

5. Stopping Keyboard Repetitions It’s easy to hold a key down just a bit too long resulting in a rrrrrepetition. Your computer can be set up to ignore keyboard repetitions. Here’s how to do it: • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

6. In the Control Panel, double click on Accessibility Options • Put a tick in the “Use FilterKeys” box to enable this feature then click OK to finish. contents

7. Two-key Commands Two-key commands let you accomplish a variety of things, ranging from producing a pound sign (Shift+3) to printing a document (Ctrl+P). For some, holding down one key while pressing another is rather difficult to accomplish. Fortunately we can change a setting so Windows will let you press one at a time: • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

8. In the Control Panel, double click on Accessibility Options • Put a tick in the “Use StickyKeys” box to enable this feature then click OK to finish. contents

9. Making The Mouse Easier To Use • Changing the speed of the mouse • Changing the double-click speed of the mouse • Swapping over the mouse buttons • Using the keys to move the pointer home

10. Changing the Speed of the Mouse If the mouse seems to quick or is too ‘sensitive’ to being moved, then it can be very difficult to focus the pointer on a target on screen. If the mouse is too slow then it can be very tiring moving the pointer around the screen. Here’s how to adjust the speed: • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

11. In the Control Panel, double click on Mouse. • Under the Motion tab, adjust the speed of the pointer by moving the slider. Click OK to finish. contents

12. Changing the Double-click Speed of the Mouse Windows’ desktop icons are started by double clicking. Although double-clicking can be avoided entirely, it’s a useful shortcut if you can get the speed right. To make double-clicking easier the speed can be adjusted. Here’s how to do it: • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

13. In the Control Panel, double click on Mouse. • Under the Buttons tab, adjust the double-click speed by moving the slider. You can then test your settings on the the jack-in-the-box. Click OK to finish. contents

14. Swapping Over the Mouse Buttons Left handed users will usually find a mouse easier to use if the buttons are swapped over, as the index finger (which is the easiest to isolate) can be used to trigger the left mouse button. We also often swap the mouse buttons over for right-handed rollerball users as it puts the button in an easier place and they don’t have to reach over the ball. • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

15. In the Control Panel, double click on Mouse. • Under the Buttons tab click on the Left-handed circle. Click Finish to continue. contents

16. Using the Keys to Move the Pointer For some youngsters, it’s suitable to set the keyboard numeric arrow keys (the ones on the far right of a standard keyboard) to move the pointer around on screen. Here’s how to accomplish this: • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

17. In the Control Panel, double click on Accessibility Options. • Under the Mouse tab, put a tick in the Use MouseKeys box. Click OK to finish. Now turn on NumLock (on your keyboard) and you should be able to control the pointer with your numeric arrow keys. contents

18. Making the Screen Easier to See • Adjusting your monitor settings • Changing the colour scheme and improving the contrast • Making everything bigger • Using a magnifier home

19. Adjusting the Monitor Settings Your computer screen has a brightness and contrast control as your television might have. You need to set this up so that the screen is comfortable to use. This setting varies depending on the ambient light and the needs of your user. Unfortunately the adjustment controls are very different from one screen to another, but are almost always mounted on the front of the unit, just under the screen. Check you manual for details or have a cautious fiddle with the buttons on the front of the unit (this does not apply to most laptop computers). A screen is really a flashlight aimed at your face. As the light comes past the letters on the screen they are made fuzzier if the overall brightness/contrast is too high. This is an optical phenomenon called diffraction. It’s very easy to see yourself: get some text on the screen and turn up the brightness/contrast very high. Now reduce the brightness/contrast to a dimmer setting and check it again. You should see a much better image albeit dimmer. Your eye can very easily adjust to a dimmer screen but a bright screen can cause problems such as headaches, squinting, etc. You should also be aware that when a computer monitor first comes on it will progressively get brighter for the next few minutes. That is why you shouldn't adjust the contrast/brightness until it has been on for about 20 minutes. I have found that a slightly dimmer setting is a lot easier on my eyes. contents

20. Changing the Colour Scheme and Improving the Contrast Windows’ black-on-grey or black-on-white colour scheme isn’t necessarily the easiest to read, especially for those with a visual impairment. Here’s how to adjust the colour scheme in Windows. • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

21. In the Control Panel, double click on Accessibility Options. • Under the Display tab, put a tick in the Use High Contrast box. Click on Settings to choose your colour combination. Next page

22. Here you can choose white-on-black, black-on-white or a custom scheme. To see a tutorial on how to make your own custom colour schemes see my online tutorial. contents

23. Making Everything Bigger The best way to make everything on the screen bigger in one go is to get a bigger screen. If one isn’t available to you, the quickest method is to drop the screen’s resolution. You should be aware that the following is a very simplified outline of how to enlarge Windows. See my online tutorials for further information and alternative strategies. • Start the control panel by clicking on Start and choosing Settings, followed by Control Panel Next page

24. In the Control Panel, double click on Display. • Under the Settings tab, drag the Screen Area slider towards ‘Less’ as far as it will go. Click OK to confirm this. contents

25. Using the Magnifier Windows 98 and above comes with a free magnifier. This magnifier takes position as a window (usually at the top of the screen) that displays the area directly below the pointer magnified a specified number of times. It is suitable for users with a visual impairment that cannot be solved in other ways. • Start the Magnifier by going to Start then Programs then Accessories then Accessibility then select Magnifier. Next page

26. The magnifier loads immediately and usually appears at the top of the screen. To change the magnification and other settings, right-click anywhere within the magnifier window and choose Options. • In the settings dialog one can adjust the magnification level and how the magnifier behaves. contents